South Cedros Avenue in Solana Beach runs about two and a half blocks, and those blocks contain more independent shops, galleries, and cafes per linear foot than almost any street in San Diego County. The Cedros Design District is 85-plus merchants packed into a walkable strip between Lomas Santa Fe Drive and Via De La Valle, one block from the train station and a few blocks from Fletcher Cove beach. It's the kind of street that big cities try to manufacture with mixed-use developments and tenant curation. In Solana Beach, it just happened.
Shopping: Home Design, Fashion, and Specialty
The district earned its "Design" label from the concentration of home furnishing stores, interior design studios, and architectural firms along the avenue. Bixby and Ball sells coastal-inspired home goods. SoLo offers a shops-within-a-shop concept designed by architect Jennifer Luce. Leaping Lotus is a multi-vendor marketplace for gifts and artisan goods. Temecula Olive Oil Company and Cedros Gardens round out a specialty retail mix that keeps people wandering from door to door. Three Sisters Jewelry pulls 590 monthly searches for its Encinitas-area following.
For fashion, the district has women's clothing boutiques, shoe stores, and jewelry designers. For art, galleries like the Aaron Chang Ocean Art Gallery and Kogei Gallery attract collectors and browsers. Madison Gallery shows contemporary work. And the Solana Beach Farmers Market runs nearby, connecting the district to local produce and prepared food.
Food and Drink on Cedros
The Belly Up Tavern is the anchor. It's been one of San Diego's most respected live music venues for decades, hosting national acts in a room that holds about 600 people. The Belly Up Cafe sits right outside for coffee and food during the day. Lockwood Table does upscale comfort food. Culture Brewing Co. and Carruth Cellars Urban Winery give the afternoon crowd craft beer and wine tasting options within a single block. Madeline's French Cafe handles breakfast and lunch. And Orange Blossom Cafe has been a steady favorite for sandwiches and pastries.
What's New in 2025 and 2026
Capstone Advisors purchased the Beachwalk Shopping Center on Highway 101 near the Solana Beach-Del Mar border for $32.1 million in late 2024 and is curating a new mix of food, wellness, and retail tenants. Lana restaurant opened in June 2025 in the old California Pizza Kitchen space. Colosseo, a Roman-Sicilian restaurant from chef Roberto Ciacciofera, opened on Lomas Santa Fe Drive in December 2025. Pure Infrared Sauna is among the new wellness tenants opening nearby.
The Cedros Design District connects naturally to the broader North County coast. Encinitas is one exit north on the 5, and its shopping and retail corridor along Coast Highway 101 covers everything from Hansen Surfboards to Wonders of Earth and Lou's Records. Del Mar is one exit south, with Jake's Del Mar and the Del Mar Plaza shops. Cedros sits in the middle, and it's the one that feels most like a discovery.
